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The Americans pilot opens with Elizabeth in a bar wearing the first of many wigs, sidling up to a government employee, who she then extracts some information with the power of a blow job. Sex on this show has always been a tool in the spy manipulation arsenal, a signature move if you will. What “The Great Patriotic War” does is showcase how sex complicates things, as well as underscoring why Philip didn’t want Paige to become embroiled in this work.

Paige is getting exposed to everything Elizabeth reassured her husband that she wouldn’t; she has seen her mother covered in the blood and brains of someone else, now she is using her sexuality to get information (despite Elizabeth forbidding her to do so). And at this point Paige still doesn’t know how to separate the personal from the professional, something her parents occasionally have an issue with.The reappearance of Kimmy last week means a return the parallels that ran throughout season three between the two teens. Back to a time Philip was doing everything in his power not to sleep with a girl that was pretty much the same age as his daughter. And his tactics worked. “Jim” became a surrogate father type for Kimmy, even while Philip struggled at parenting his own inquisitive daughter. Kimmy has gone from typically rebellious teen with daddy issues to a stable, well-adjusted young woman. She even quit smoking weed two years ago.

The things Philip says to her about being proud are true, even if he is using it as a tool for manipulation. To finally get her into bed. I pretty much watched that scene in the car through my fingers, knowing what was going to happen next. Kimmy is no longer underage, but it is still creepy as fuck. Watching Philip steel himself for that inevitable is crushing, right now he will do anything that Elizabeth asks of him because she really hasn’t asked for a lot and he can see how much the work is grinding her down. And the plan works. Kimmy smiles, while Philip grimaces. How he has he found himself back here?

Elizabeth’s plan to get Philip to plant drugs on Kimmy in a Communist country is hardly fool proof. They don’t even know whether Kimmy’s dad will give the information they need. Considering how well Elizabeth’s operations have been going this season, it is highly likely that he wouldn’t. Elizabeth is trying her best with what she has, but what she has is not amounting to much. She can’t even get her art homework done. It is such a weird moment to see her get rebuked by someone else. Erica continues to needle Elizabeth in a way we haven’t seen since Young-Hee. But Erica’s condition continues to get graver; will she end up with nothing here too? Thomas Schlamme directed “The Great Patriotic War,” his sixth outing behind the camera on The Americans. And interestingly enough he also directed “Dimebag;” the episode in which Philip came up with using Paige’s interest in Christianity to solve his horny Kimmy issue. Featuring a scene with Philip and Elizabeth at their most lighthearted, getting stoned and giggling over prayer suggestions. As with any moment in this show, there is still a level of darkness; Philip notes that when she gets older he might have to sleep with her. Prophetic words it turns out.

But Philip can’t go through with the plan, even after he has crossed the physical intimacy line. Every episode this season has delivered those Emmy-worthy moments, but I can’t get over the phone call Philip makes to Kimmy. He’s out of disguise, which brings another level to it, as he tells Kimmy he can’t go to Greece. Philip has fucked her, but he can’t take the risk of fucking with her life. They have already destroyed too many people in the name of their country. Too many kids.

Elizabeth notes Kimmy is no longer a kid, legally she isn’t. But she is still a young person with a bright future ahead of her. There is no way he can control Paige’s path, but he can with Kimmy. What he is risking is huge; his entire relationship with Elizabeth could rest on this (oh and the fact he is going behind her back with Oleg), but he does it anyway.Both Matthew Rhys and Julia Garner crush the emotion of this scene. Garner because Kimmy has just been told the person she has wanted for a long time will no longer be in her life, Philip because he is “trying his best.” He got a taste of the spy life again and it was not good, but the tipping point comes after Stan is a lot more loose lipped than he has been in the past. Coming over for a beer after a hard day at work used to be the norm, now Stan rarely does this. Stan tells him about the double-murder and the 7 year-old boy that got to see the bloody aftermath of Elizabeth’s handiwork. Even without knowing Elizabeth did it, Philip *knows* Elizabeth did it. Another kid impacted by the work.

Elizabeth and Claudia’s Russian history lesson for Paige this week centers on the Great Patriotic War aka WWII; they underscore just how much the Soviet Union lost in comparison to the U.S. (400,000 to 27 million), the battle that changed everything (Stalingrad, not D-Day) and the poverty that followed (Elizabeth mentions eating rats). The history book erasure is a valid point. They suffered, they died, they won. But this doesn’t justify what Elizabeth has been doing this season. How every operation and episode has added to the body count. Each death has come as a result of operations not going to plan; Elizabeth attempts her “got a light?” (how very Twin Peaks) tactic again, this time she is interrupted.Plan B involves going up the fire escape and into Gennadi’s safe house. A plan that would have been fool proof if Stan hadn’t succeeded in getting Sofia to give Gennadi another chance. Elizabeth goes to exit the kitchen, first hiding behind the fridge, then the door. But she is spotted, there is only one way out of this building for Elizabeth alive; another bloody mess bringing her work back in the orbit of Stan.

Also in the orbit of Stan is Oleg, but he gets a different visitor asking exactly what he is doing back in the US. One-time love interest Tatiana approaches as a friend, but when Oleg uses study as the reason he is here, she loses her shit. She is mad that he used the information she gave him about the bio-weapons, costing her career. She has been stuck in the same position ever since, her star was previously on the rise. Tatiana calls him a traitor and later at the Rezidentura she underscores how little he can be trusted, putting his life in danger. It doesn’t feel like things are going to end well for Oleg.This episode clocks in at just under 60 minutes, currently some shows unnecessarily extend their run-time (shout-out to Kathryn VanArendonk’s A+ piece about this trend), this is not one of those cases. Thomas Schlamme makes very scene feel worth it, every word by writer Hilary Bettis is earned, the performances from top to bottom are fantastic. In a long list of very good Americans episodes, “The Great Patriotic War” is up there with the best. And we are only halfway through the season.

There is a fluidity in the way the camera moves, whether it is capturing Elizabeth’s daring Gennadi plot, moving from hiding place to hiding place or the closest The Americans has come to a walk and talk scene. Instead it is walk and argue starting with Paige essentially yelling “You’re not the boss of me” at her mother in the garage, then Philip and Elizabeth carrying on this heated discussion moving from the kitchen, to the stairs and then the bedroom.Elizabeth’s “it’s none of your business” retort to her husband about who Paige is sleeping with is also very teen like, but she goes from being incredibly defensive to accepting that Philip was right about Paige not being cut out for this business. But this is not what he said, he reiterates this by saying “She can do it, my point was always that she shouldn’t.” This argument starts because Paige lost her cool in a bar, a super skeezy guy laid his hands on her so she reacted. But this was impulsive, drawing unwanted attention that could put the entire family in danger. It is also worth noting that Paige’s surprise visit interrupts a tense debriefing scene after Philip gets back from his Kimmy trip, every conversation in this sequence feels unfinished and emotionally charged.

Right now Paige feels empowered. So while Elizabeth is out murdering more people (albeit she does it without drawing attention to herself), Philip swings by Paige’s apartment to find out just how much she knows about fighting. And to teach her an important lesson.What Philip gets is another case of Paige acting superior as she tells him “I know you’re not into what me and mom do.” Like he doesn’t share an interest in their hobby. Instead Philip tells her to come at him, his hand still in his pocket nonchalantly as she quips about how they don’t have pads. Again the contempt in his voice is impossible to ignore (again it is delicious to hear) as he notes “There aren’t really pads in the real world.”

He pulls some moves out of the bag, easily putting her into a choke hold. This moment is Philip giving her a vital teaching moment, to make sure she doesn’t feel invincible, but he still looks incredibly disgusted at himself. As he does multiple times in this episode.Before Kimmy, the murders, Paige being a know-it-all; Philip and Elizabeth do experience something we haven’t seen all season, real physical intimacy. For a brief moment they are back to how they were. Last week it almost happened, but Elizabeth rolled away from her husband.

Schlamme previously directed one of the most intimate Philip and Elizabeth scenes, thankfully this time there is no tooth pulling. Here the only thing getting removed (on camera) is Elizabeth’s earrings. The camera moves from a static shot to overhead as they lean into each other, then lying down on the bed. The calculator beeps causing Elizabeth to laugh, it is good moment.Cut to a now familiar setting the next day; Elizabeth smoking outside with Philip coming out to see him. But there is a lightness, a spring is his step* as he notes that he hasn’t slept that well in ages with Elizabeth joking “I wonder why.” She still hasn’t slept well, the reason probably has something to do with what follows in the kitchen, as she asks him to go to Greece because without the Kimmy tapes she’s screwed. Sex again comes into focus as a manipulation tool; was Elizabeth just doing this so Philip would bend to her will.

*A nice costume detail here is that Philip hasn’t put his sneakers on properly because he isn’t going to wearing them for long. Also the brr noise he makes is the most adorable.

This is far more complicated than the many people they have slept with for information. Yes part of her probably did this to make him more compliant, but they have both been lacking and yearning for this connection. Paige thinks it is ridiculous that she would ever sleep with someone she didn’t like, Philip and Elizabeth know this feeling all too well. And it is not like they are fucking the empty void in the couch as Elizabeth’s first paramour ended up doing.

This will be the end of it for Philip, if he just did what Elizabeth asked, but he can’t and it isn’t. With just five episodes left it looks like things will come crashing down for this relationship before the Berlin Wall does. But part of me still believes they will come back together for each other, but I can’t see a happy ending. It is The Americans, after all.

Dream PhoneOther than this being a crushing scene for character reasons it also reminded me that I really wanted a phone like this when I was growing up. I did not get it.

Costume wish list

What better way to dress up a shirt than with a collar pin. Paige is crushing the style stakes this season, even as she finds out about the very bad things that happened to the Soviet Union during WWII.

Drinking Tips Claudia and Elizabeth give Paige a lesson in how to drink more; have a shot of olive oil before you start. Holly Taylor does not recommend this. Also I now very much want to get drunk with Claudia (and Margo Martindale).

Family Portrait A point I keep returning to is how well the Jennings’ house is used in times of harmony and discord. And that they have an excellent production design department. The pictures on the wall reinforce this notion of family; showing what is always at stake.

January continues to be the month where everything happens. This week we have the NAACP Awards, more TCA and Sundance kicks off. Sundance is one of my favorite style events of the year because of the levels of knitwear, coats and boots. Fancy gowns are one thing, but give me boots and tights any day. Expect much more of this next week.Tracee Ellis Ross gazing at her NAACP award is how I am looking at this photo. Sparky Narciso Rodriguez paired with this jacket (I don’t know if it is faux or not) gives such strong Studio 54 vibes. I wore my vintage faux fur jacket out of the first time last weekend and it is an experience I will be detailing in the newsletter soon. Grown-ish is so far living up to everything I hoped it would be and more; performances, storylines and the costumes are all amazing. On the red carpet Yara Shahidi continues to impress and at the NAACP Awards, this Vera Wang looks a little Western tavern and I am here for it. Especially that collar. Not only is Yvette Nicole Brown’s Öfuurë gown an absolute stunner, but Brown wore it to make a bigger statement. Here’s what Brown said on her Instagram:

“I chose to rep the beauty of Africa and its beautiful countries for this special event. Being a descendent of the kings and queens brought here to America and enslaved, I don’t know what (per the “president”) sh*thole country I’m originally from but I know pure EXCELLENCE comes from the mighty continent of Africa. Proud to be a descendant of that legacy.”Kerry Washington goes classic in Michael Kors and her accessory game is next level.

Washington appeared on stage as a representative for the #TimesUp movement along with Tracee Ellis Ross, Lena Waithe, Jurnee Smollett Bell, Angela Robinson and Laverne Cox. This is not just for the Golden Globes. Costume designer June Ambrose shows how to really work a cape on the red carpet in Michael Costello. Draaaaaama. Another stunning va-va-voom gown from Niecy Nash, switching florals for metallic Mac Duggal. So many sparkles this week as this continues to be the trend. At the NACCP dinner and ceremony, Tessa Thompson puts a glitzy spin on the ladysuit in Jonathan Simkhai. Lena Waithe looks great in the mix of smart/casual in suit, polka dot shirt and classic Vans.Team Insecure go for three very different looks; Jay Ellis in a standard tux that is anything but, Yvonne Orji in a romantic Patricia Bonaldi frock and Issa Rae nails the sequin ’70s vibe in Marc Jacobs.Also looking like a fun group hang at the NAACP awards with plenty of sartorial grace. This is Us fave, Susan Kelechi Watson’s beautiful patterned Phuong My dress is a standout. Danai Gurira in ruffled Rodarte and Chadwick Boseman in Prada reminds me how excited I am for the Black Panther press tour (and the movie). Back to TCA—which is now over—and this very fun artsy frock as worn by Kelly Macdonald. Appearing during the PBS session to talk about her new show The Child in Time, Macdonald nails the sit down look. Even if I am not wild about the scrunchie top boots. Stripes! I am officially on a stripe buying ban (because I really have too many, if such a thing can exist), but that doesn’t mean I can’t long from afar. This is a great sweater from Supergirl* star Melissa Benoist as she talks Waco. And regular readers will know how much I adore Julia Garner. I am excited for this mini-series.

* For all things Supergirl style check out my column over at The Observer where I go deep into where to find the costumes from the CW superhero shows.Sundance! Where boots and black tights are in abundance, much to my delight. At the “An Artist at the Table” kickoff event Dominque Fishback wears the platonic ideal of an outfit for this festival. Hopefully she has a heavy duty coat for venturing outside. While we’re on the subject of outwear; Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal give great coats at the world premiere of Blindspotting, one of the most anticipated films screening at Sundance. Initial reaction to the Diggs/Casal film—which they co-wrote and star in—is good. Gold shoes also up the style stakes for Diggs.

It is mid-November and Golden Globe nominations are just around the corner—they will be announced Monday, 11 December—and as it is the 75th anniversary of these awards, there is of course a party.

And many of the people vying for nominations attended, because of course. A lot of them also happened to give some of the best performances of the year. Big trends of the night include bold prints and color, much to my delight. There are several late entries into the best profiles of 2017 category and Kyle Buchanan’s Vulture interview with Armie Hammer is so good that it warrants its own outtakes article. I saw Call Me by Your Name twice in the space of a week and I am still thinking about it.

Also incredible is his choice of Paul Smith suit and floral T-shirt; this event is casual enough to eschew a collar and I love this fun red carpet take. Another Ilaria Urbinati winner.Alison Brie’s Instagram is a gift for any GLOW fan right now. There are so many good BTS moments from the set, particularly with her hair. Here she has scraped it back and gone with minimal makeup, which makes sense when you’re wearing a Hugo Boss green leopard print velvet dress. Keeping with the Community cast theme and everything about this Yvette Nicole Brown frock is perfect winter florals.Also going with a botanical print and Tatiana Maslany mixes masculine and feminine styling with aplomb. There is a reason she is a style icon around these parts.Alias Grace is one of the best shows I have seen this year and star Sarah Gadon is a revelation. Gadon is currently doing the talk show circuit (where she is charming as hell) and hopefully she will get some awards love.

And she looks pretty fabulous in Giambattista Valli at this Golden Globes celebration.On and off screen, Yvonne Orji crushes it in the sartorial stakes. An appropriately festive dress by Phuong My and a dramatic bow that doesn’t swamp her.Insecure creator/star Issa Rae goes in a different direction to her co-star and this block color Brandon Maxwell halter neck dress is making me want an afternoon cocktail. Cute without being too saccharine is Saoirse Ronan in a girlish Teresa Helbig frock and I am still desperate to see Lady Bird.13 Reasons Why star Katherine Langford in lipstick print Valentino Resort is giving off super fun vibes, but would it have been too on the nose for Langford to wear lipstick as well?I would be thrilled if Tara Lynne Barr got recognized for her performance on Casual (I still think about the stripped down rendition of “Landslide”) and season 3 of this show is probably my favorite so far.

Barr also gives great party frock and colorful pumps; I would like all of this in my own wardrobe.Director Dee Rees continues to wear some of the best jackets on the red carpet and I cannot wait to see Mudbound (which arrives on Netflix tomorrow).Jessica McNamee ticks three of my favorite style boxes; the ladysuit, heritage prints and a bold lip color. More ladysuit treats from Zoe Lister-Jones in Dion Lee and I am also a sucker for the stripe long-sleeve tee with a suit thing, which Adam Scott is doing so well.More Valentino Resort and a very different look for Aubrey Plaza as she dips her two in the Little House on the Prairie pool. It looks pretty damn good.Block color and kooky shoes for another TV Ate My Wardrobe fave. Julia Garner has had a very good year and I am already excited to see what she does in 2018. Namely the Waco miniseries and how much Kimmy will be in the final season of The Americans. I should probably also watch Ozark.Oh, hello. Turtleneck with a suit achievement unlocked and I am now currently casting Sebastian Stan in my as yet unwritten 1970s set movie. It is going to be a doozy.

The last couple of weeks have been exhausting and each new day a different person tells a harrowing story about their experiences working in Hollywood. It is important that these stories are finally getting told and I’m sure this is just the beginning. My hope is that it will have a positive impact on industries that stretch far beyond just the entertainment one.

Hot steaming angry tears have fallen down my face a lot this week and it feels weird in a way to flip this back to a fashion post, but honestly it is what I need right now. And seeing women celebrating other women brings me so much joy in this garbage fire week/month/year.

In other things that brought me joy (but also made me sob) check out the Halt and Catch Fire season finale and the essay I wrote for Colliderabout the end of this show.Some of the posed shots at the Elle ‘Women in Hollywood’ celebration took place in front of this semi-futuristic metallic backdrop and Yara Shahidi’s Chanel ensemble was already great, but looks even better here. Plus this dress has pockets and we all know how I feel about this. Those shoes are also divine.We’re going to be seeing a lot more from A Wrinkle in Time teen star Storm Reid and the heart emblazoned Reem Acra frock is a mix of adorable cool. Love that she’s not wearing stacked heels and this is the kind of shoe I should opt for, rather than failing to wear a pair of heels for an entire evening. The Big Sick is one of my favorite movies of 2017 and writer Emily V. Gordon continues to give great pattern at fancy events. This is such a fabulous fall floral look.Color blocked Calvin Klein is just the thing—even if it errs on the side of too sheer—and Julia Garner’s got an excellent blue bag to match. Top marks for the bold lipstick too.Tracee Ellis Ross at the polo is a match made in fashion fun heaven and as she mentions on Instagram these items are all from her wardrobe; her fave Céline pants (that color!) and an Agnes B button-down from high school. Yep, high school.

From the fabulous posing on Insta collection this week; Tracee Ellis Ross shows that her Black-ish character is just as stylish and I would very much love this oversized green Tomorrowland chunky knit in my closet.

Last Sunday, Gina Rodriguez and Eiza González hosted a lunch with other Latina actresses and industry figures including Eva Longoria, Stephanie Beatriz, Melissa Fumero, Rosario Dawson and America Ferrera. Also in attendance were a number of Rodriguez’s Jane the Virgin co-stars Yara Martinez, Andrea Navedo, Ivonne Coll and Justina Machado.

It was heartwarming—especially after the last few weeks—to see Rodriguez and González hosting a super positive event like this.

We’re Going to Need More Wine is on my book list (and a phrase I say often) and also Gabrielle Union is making me want to invest in velvet pants more than I already did and I’ve been coveting a velvet suit hard.

And while I’m on the subject of velvet; here’s Rami Malek for Shortlistin the perfect Dior velvet.

Allure has been crushing it this year and the last time Kerry Washington graced this magazine’s cover I commented that it was one of her best (and she has been on many magazine covers). I’m gonna say the same thing again as this image and the accompanying editorial are captivating and disarming in the best possible way.

The interview is also full of gems including what it means to play Olivia Pope; “For her to be three-dimensional and complex and fully human and not anybody’s stereotype or caricature is a big deal.” She also discusses the current political climate and beauty standards. With the latter she mentions how black women are judged by the way they wear their hair saying, “I like to wear my natural texture, especially now because I have children and I want them to know that their hair is perfect as it is. They don’t have to change it or straighten it. They can, but they don’t have to.”

She talks about filming Scandal while pregnant (sadly there is no mention of my Fitz’s knee as a bump barrier) and what it means for her now the show is ending. You can read the full interview here.

Paris Fashion Week finishes today! Marking the end of this very hectic Spring/Summer ’18 season and some of my favorite looks from those attending occurred over the last few days. Louis Vuitton has quite the set of brand ambassadors; pretty much all were there for both the runway show and the boutique opening the night before.

There’s a lot of leopard print infused in these outfits on both days and this is only adding to my desire to finally indulge in this style.

Over at Miu Miu the front row was a mix of newcomers and fashion week veterans. It feels like organizers for both shows reached into my brain and picked out some of my faves. So rather than making “Out of the Box” overstuffed, here is a rundown of the best looks from these Paris Fashion Week events.Michelle Williams has been part of the LV family since 2013 and for the Paris show she brought along bestie Busy Philipps. The trip lived up to the Busy brand and was well documented on Instagram Stories—much to my delight—including dancing to Will Smith and featuring a cameo from another TV Ate My Wardrobe regular.

Both of these outfits also look super wearable and I am particularly eyeing up Michelle’s jacket and Busy’s skirt. I also spent yesterday writing about turtlenecks and while I personally wouldn’t wear a cropped version, I am excited to see this kind of sweater doing the rounds.

This is also amazing. After the very low turnout at Dior—where were all their ambassadors?—Louis Vuitton did not have this problem. A front row of Oscar winners and nominees. More coats to covet and Ruth Negga at the Louis Vuitton opening is everything goals. She’s even making the white boots work. Another lipstick brand/color to add to the forever list of cosmetics I am on the hunt for.Pattern clashing at its best and Alicia Vikander is looking the most ’90s. Now these are the LV boots I would like to stomp about in this winter.Maggie Gyllenhaal continues to do amazing things on The Deuce and on the sartorial front; giving off ’50s elegance vibes at Miu Miu with a dash of ’70s style platforms. I want her to star in screwball comedy after seeing this outfit. Or a sequel to The Secretary.It is a cliché to use the word chic when someone is in Paris, but Naomie Harris is chic af here. It is really nice to see Elle Fanning in something non-pastel and floaty; this jumpsuit didn’t picture so well while sitting down, but looks great here. More platforms from Miu Miu for Dakota and this color is stunning on her. I feel very protective toward Julia Garner and no doubt this is because of the character she plays on The Americans. I also really like how fashiony she is (as well as being a terrific actress) and Miu Miu feels like entirely the right brand for her style. This is slightly edgy, but with a playful side.Clemence Posey is another regularFashion Week attendee and this sweater/skirt pairing is what I want to wear to the office. If I worked in an office. After starring in the highest-grossing horror movie of all time, It star Sophia Lillis continues her cute as hell fashion domination. Sparkly collar and kitten print are delightful. As is this cat number from Miu Miu’s online store. Gonna go get lost in this pattern dream of a RTW collection.

Every single year, I know that everything happens in September and yet I get distracted by my birthday (which was on Monday) and then the fall TV, NYFW and film festival onslaught takes me by surprise. Every single year. There was also the Twin Peaks finale — thanks for that birthday gift, David Lynch — and I am still thinking about that.

The whole new year aspect is something I have discussed on numerous occasions and this time of year is both super exciting and incredibly overwhelming. Case in point; this week’s “Out of the Box” and it is one of our longest yet.

Plus be sure to check out this extended Maggie Gyllenhall rundown as she promotes her new show, The Deuce.At the Venice Film Festival, Kirsten Dunst delivers whimsy in Rodarte polka dot ruffles — a look that is similar to her recent Nylon cover — at the premiere of Woodshock.

Woodshock is directed by Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte, so it isn’t a surprise to see Dunst repping this brand. Dunst has long been wearing Rodarte and despite the reviews, I am still looking forward to seeing this film.This is a little wacky from Priyanka Chopra in hot pink Fendi at the Pahuna: The Little Visitors premiere at TIFF, but so much fun. And an occasion where matching bold lipstick with a bold outfit could be a little much, but black ankle boots take the saccharine edge off. From Venice to Canada and now France; film festival season is in full swing and where can I get my own white picket fence with Laura Dern’s name on it? At the 43rd Deauville American Film Festival, Laura Dern gets a dedicated beach locker room on the Promenade des Planches and she’s wearing the perfect Gabriela Hearst Resort ’18 summer dress for the occasion.

Between Big Little Lies and Twin Peaks this has been a huge year for Dern on TV and I am already very excited to request a Diane manicure. Also, I now desperately want to have a Laura Dern themed costume party.Actually, make that a Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum themed party.

At this same event in France, Goldblum gives great polka dot button-down and the silver fox swoon levels are high. What better time to launch a fashion collaboration in New York than NYFW and Gabrielle Union looks stunning in this yellow dress from her New York & Company Collection. Plus these outfits will not break the bank; a NYFW rarity.Leather pants and a floral frock should not work and I’m not sure there are many that could pull of this look. And yet, Tracee Ellis Ross is doing just that in Ronald van der Kemp. That backdrop at Pat McGrath’s NYFW Mothership Ball is also divine and ups the drama levels. The ’90s are alive and well at Tom Ford — we truly didn’t know how lucky we were as Gretchen said post “Zombie” sing-along in the new You’re the Worst. TV Ate My Wardrobe fave, Julia Garner goes simple in black at this runway show and she is also in the new TV themed issue of Glamour, which is worth picking up. Important NYFW runway show update and there are no words to describe my levels of swoon. Calvin Klein drawing the flamiest of flame emoji attendants.

Former model and Outlander star Caitriona Balfe looks elegant in fancy office attire at the Noon by Noor (in Noon by Noor) NYFW show.Ladysuit alert! And I have been obsessed with getting a velvet number for the last year. Caitriona Balfe in Max Mara at an Outlander screening — back Sunday, September 10 — is only adding to this obsession.

I’m not wild about the black bralette, but she does look amazing and this works better than Maggie Gyllenhaal’s matching crop top number.At the GQ Men of the Year awards — British GQ always holds them at this time of year — Anna Friel goes ’70s inspired in a sparkly striped Dhela.

Important Pushing Daisies content. Yes, I screamed with joy when I saw Anna Friel’s Insta Story this morning.It has been noted that a lot of the October covers we have seen so far are visually more striking than the September offerings and I recall the same thing happened last year. There is less pressure for a big statement look and W’s new series of covers includes this Tracee Ellis Ross stunner (her second appearance this week). The color of that dress, the way she is looking directly at us and that powerful pose is all very mesmerizing. Saoirse Ronan also feels like she is gazing directly into my soul and the new trailer for Lady Bird also has me all a fluster this week.

Frances Ha is one of my favorite films and everything about Greta Gerwig’s new film is ticking all the boxes. I cannot wait. Stranger Things returns next month so expect to see this cast everywhere — I’m gonna start a season 1 rewatch tonight — and Winona Ryder for W is making me covet a leather beret.

Another incredible shot from the October issue, which is gonna look great on my coffee table. Well, as long as I can get one of the covers I want (and not the Jared one).

Also in fabulous October cover news; Zoë Kravitz for British Vogue. This is the most excited I’ve been for this edition of Vogue and a fantastic sign that new EiC, Edward Enninful is going to deliver. Love this very fun polka dot number that Kravitz posted to Instagram and this is another magazine I’ll be picking up (even though I still have to read last month’s).

We’re in the end of summer, pre-September everything is happening space and that means there’s not a great deal going on right now. But there are still events including the last vestiges of the Emmy campaign dance and more fabulous magazine editorials/covers. An Emmy cocktail reception going by the name Television Academy’s Performers Peer Group is the perfect place for Tracee Ellis Ross to show up in a Chanel embroidered ensemble and finishing it off with a simple white tee. Bonus lip color delight and this is all Tracee Ellis Ross in application (as per her Insta).

Also serving up great poses on her Instagram and this shot is even better. Karla Welch shout out and she continues to do her amazing thing. Cannot wait to see all of her many nominated clients’ — including Elisabeth Moss, Sarah Paulson — at the Emmys. This Monique Lhuillier frock is perfect end of summer florals and I love that Kathryn Hahn has gone with a shoe this pink. I also still need to watch I Love Dick, so thank you Kathryn Hahn for this reminder. And another Karla Welch picked ensemble!Looking classic in black Marc Jacobs with a hint of gold sparkle is Alison Wright and while The Americans has not had the award recognition it deserves, this show always does well in the guest actress category. Fingers crossed for Wright and that Poor Martha gets to drop the first part of that moniker. Always thrilled to see the RuPaul’s Drag Race judging team (accompanied by Delta Work) and RuPaul’s leopard print suit is divine. Also here is a really good behind the scenes look at the rise of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

On a personal style note, I have decided this will be the fall where I finally get a leopard print jacket. Watch this space.For the newly redesigned The Cut — which looks amazing btw — Julia Garner is here to make me lust after this Louis Vuitton jacket and sweater. And apparently I now have to watch Ozark because I didn’t realize Garner is in it and I think she is wonderful.

“As Kimmy, she harnessed that singular mix of vulnerability and toughness that has become a Garner trademark.”

It sounds like Garner is delivering on the contradictions in Ozark and I’m also looking forward to seeing how Kimmy will play a part in the final season of The Americans as Philip’s only spy operation.I’m so excited about Maggie Gyllenhaal being on TV this fall and all the profiles coming our way to discuss The Deuce, including this one from Time Out. Gyllenhaal discusses this new David Simon show and her dual role as actor/producer on this project, including what level of creative input she had:

“David [Simon] would come down to my trailer and ask for my thoughts. I told him early on that we get to see so much performative sex as a financial transaction, watching women dressing and coming in the way men want, with little to do with their own desire. I said, “Maybe you could have a scene where I masturbate?” And he wrote it beyond what I could have imagined.”

There is also a discussion about her brother and their different experiences in this industry. Keep these Maggie Gyllenhaal profiles coming.Cue my Almost Famous rendition of “Cover of Rolling Stone” and I’m so thankful that Gal Gadot is wearing a moth-holed white tee instead of the standard white tank — someone at Rolling Stone has obviously invested a lot of money in this garment. The bonus appearance of the Wonder Woman cuffs really makes the cover and I’m happy that we’re talking about this movie still. Ignoring James Cameron, of course.I love a good pun and this headline ticks those boxes and then some because Caitriona Balfe looks stunning on this Entertainment Weekly cover. New Outlander is coming soon (September 10) and the thirst most definitely is real.

EW loves a good steamy shoot and this time they are paying homage to From Here to Eternity; switching beachwear for some Outlander appropriate threads.

It was at this point on The Americans last year when Paige found out the truth about who her parents really are, but it has taken this amount of time for Paige to finally feel like she can trust them again and they have Pastor Tim to thank for this. Trust is a fundamental part of a spy’s job; getting someone to open up to extract the information needed without looking like that is all they are after and there are many ways of achieving this.

Building up relationships is important and sex is one method. The other is friendship and as we have seen with both Philip and Elizabeth they have to really commit to make a convincing agent. With Paige they have used some of the same somewhat emotionally manipulative techniques to try and get her on side, but faking it with feelings is much harder when it is your own daughter.One of the points of entry and really one of the reasons why Paige initially started to question everything was the lack of extended family. Taking her to Germany to see Elizabeth’s mother was meant to bring them together; instead it caused her to spiral further and confess to Pastor Tim about their Russian nationality. Paige didn’t think she could convincingly lie and yet we have seen her gradually get much better at faking her way through things. Elizabeth going all tough parent on her a few weeks ago certainly helped underscore exactly what is at stake and the disappearance of Pastor Tim coupled with the suggestion of having to leave if things did go south have further cemented this notion.

In terms of parenting Elizabeth is the tougher of the two and has been since the pilot episode; her relationship to her own mother is something I discussed in detail over at Collider and it provides the foundation for everything Elizabeth feels about duty to country. With Philip, details about his childhood have been sparse with the odd comment about icicles and the fully fleshed out version of his milk story that we saw at the start of this season. In “Munchkins” we finally get to hear about Philip’s relationship with his parents after Paige asks whether his mom was a good cook. We find out that like Elizabeth’s mother, Philip’s was also tough and so was his dad. This is not unusual for post-war Russia and Philip explains it wasn’t about what you liked; instead hard work and protecting your family was what mattered. Both are values Philip and Elizabeth adhere to now. This bonding session is much like last week’s Philip and Paige scenes; intercut with Elizabeth and her soul crushing Young Hee operation. It goes a long way to explaining exactly why they do the terrible things they do and a word like ‘tough’ could easily be assigned to Elizabeth when thinking about what kind of mother she is. Philip mentions his dad was often tired and this again could describe his state when returning home from work at all hours of the day.

It is pretty magical seeing how Philip’s face lights up when he thinks about his childhood and this in stark contrast to his other most recent memory from his past; Paige’s curiosity opens up this part of him that has been sealed off for over twenty years. These father/daughter moments are lovely and the chemistry between Holly Taylor and Matthew Rhys gives off these nurturing warm and fuzzy feelings. Philip was the one who appealed to Paige last season based on their family history with photos from her childhood and his relationship with his daughter is much warmer than Elizabeth’s is.Without the KGB the Jennings family would not exist because Philip and Elizabeth are only together because of this assignment. Paige and Henry are part of their cover as Americans, but unlike a lot of the relationships they fake their way through the bonds here are very real. “Feelings matter” as Gabriel later tells Elizabeth and this certainly became the case when they committed to each other at the start of season 1. Now these feelings are seeping into every crack like a warm and gooey poison. Elizabeth is no longer the stone cold agent and this is most likely not down to one thing, but an accumulation of everything that has taken place over the last four seasons.

There is nothing fake about Young Hee and her family; they are loud and love each other very much. Elizabeth is about to destroy all of this. If the seduction scene was hard enough to watch last week, well then this family dinner with a super awkward Don is even more excruciating as he can barely look at Patty. It gets even worse when Elizabeth listens to Young Hee’s tear filled phone message and her instance at completing this mission only wavers when Gabriel pushes her.Discussions between children and parents or about children and parents run throughout the episode and as the father figure in her life Gabriel holds a lot of sway. He has changed his handler tactics and instead of admonishing or simply pushing her to complete the mission he offers the chance of a way out. There are no guarantees, but they can always ask. Elizabeth pauses for what feels like an age as she contemplates this suggestion and you know there is a big part of her that feels like a failure for letting her feelings get in the way; her feelings don’t or shouldn’t matter. But they do and Gabriel now has a much better read on who his agents are and how to work with them. It is a really touching scene and watching Elizabeth peel away her cold exterior continues to be one of the highlights of this season. Insert my weekly Keri Russell is amazing comment here. Same with Matthew Rhys.

The core parent/children conversations take place between Philip, Elizabeth and Paige over three scenes. First comes Alice’s surprise arrival after family dinner and before her bombshell we see they are now at a place where they can joke about getting Paige to mop the kitchen floor. The news that Pastor Tim has disappeared in a country which is a Soviet client state does not go down well and Alice has a whole contingency plan if anything happens. Paige also questions her parents and doesn’t think she can believe anything they say on the matter and storms out of the kitchen once again mirroring that big reveal from last season. In a hilarious moment Philip waits a beat and then ponders whether they did have anything to do with it.Elizabeth has zero time for this line of thought pointing out that they would have been told if a plan like this was going ahead. It would also be incredibly sloppy if this is how the Centre decide to deal with the Pastor Tim problem months after the Epcot aborted plan. Paige doesn’t know anything about that though and so this version seems plausible.

Later on when Paige returns from seeing Alice a tense conversation in the kitchen is peppered by the sound of Henry banging a tennis ball against the garage door, which adds an unsettling tone to proceedings. It is pretty funny that both Paige and Elizabeth make the same ‘break the garage door’ comment independent of each other; like mother, like daughter. This is where Paige gets to act like her most teen as she flips out when she finds out that a move to Russia will be on the cards if things go south. Paige tells them that everything they say is crazy and then lands a blow asking them who they are going to lie to and kidnap? This might be a good moment to sing the praises of Holly Taylor who shows the conflict Paige is feeling in numerous ways including wide eyed confusion, anger and fear at what might happen to both Tim and her family.When Pastor Tim shows up unhurt – they ran out of petrol and got lost, way to go Tim – Paige realizes her parents have been telling the truth all along. Well about this anyway. Getting to a place of trust is hard and sometimes it needs something big like this to earn it. Closing ranks is important and Elizabeth explains that “the one thing dad and I have is we tell each other the truth.” The one time Philip didn’t was when he slept with Irina and as the blowup argument proved a few weeks ago this is still a deep burn. But other than that they are golden and now Paige is also part of this. They can’t tell her everything, but they promise not to lie to her. This is what Philip did with Martha too and that definitely made her more willing to go along with things like the Moscow move. Martha did not have a shit fit like Paige threw.

What they also find out is Paige is starting to think like them as she explains the reason why she didn’t ask for the tape straight away was to make sure Alicia knew that she cared about Tim being found and not just to save her parents. There is now an immense amount of trust between Alice and Paige; their plan is working. The girl who didn’t think she could lie is now becoming quite the little spy.Without even knowing it Paige has also gathered some vital information from Matthew as he tells her that Stan has been opening up a lot more about his work at the FBI. My first thought when he told her about the Martha stuff was for her to run and tell her parents, but at this point Paige doesn’t know the goldmine she has stumbled upon. This conversation is also important for another reason as Matthew is the other side of the Paige coin; Matthew wasn’t privy to Stan’s work life and had a strained relationship. Now Stan is being more open with him things are a lot better. I also love that Paige used to be super nervous around Matthew as she had a crush on him. Now she has so much other shit going on these nerves have gone and she isn’t concerned with looking super cool going so far as asking him for a lift and taking him into her church. They can be like the KGB/FBI version of Romeo and Juliet except both houses are seemingly friends right now.

There is another teen in this equation (not you Henry – go back to listening to your Walkman) and this week marks the return of Kimmy! Julia Garner it is so good to see you again especially now that Kimmy has a boyfriend and Philip is much more of a surrogate father/big brother type rather than someone Kimmy is launching herself at. Thanks show for making this a lot less uncomfortable. Kimmy tells Philip that her dad told her who he really works for and suddenly everything to do with her dad makes so much more sense. The Kimmy storyline ran parallel with Paige’s last season and it does so once again here. Philip tells her she shouldn’t have told him this big secret as it breaks her father’s trust (much like Paige did) and it will bring her closer to her father if she does keep his trust (also see Paige). We also find out that Kimmy thinks Philip has the best pot and that he is a pot connoisseur. Maybe it is time for Philip and Elizabeth to get stoned together again.One more father/daughter relationship makes an impact this week and that is the one between Martha and her dad. We know Martha was super tight with her parents and it makes it all the more heartbreaking that they still don’t know where she is. Her dad has traveled to DC to meet up with Stan (who drags Aderholt along for this beer and awkward chat) and he tries to convince them how good his daughter is. In the most polite way Stan explains that they target people like Martha and they assure him they won’t give up on looking for her, but probably not for the reasons he hopes for.

The new boss at the FBI is no Gaad and is what Stan would refer to as a “Munchkin” (like the episode title) and is someone who is a carbon copy of the director with no out of the box thinking. A rule follower if you will. Gaad is on vacation with his wife in Thailand and nothing bad could happen to him there, right? I thought we had seen the last of Gaad, but now we definitely have. A visit from some shady looking Russians who want to talk ends with Gaad impaling himself of the glass pane door and bleeding out. This all made me pretty sad. Why they wanted to talk is unclear, but Arkady had something to do with this mission. Stan takes the news as you would expect it and at the moment he doesn’t know the how/why. When he does I think he might be more inclined to step up his Oleg op.

Oleg meanwhile is still enjoying some out of office time with Tatiana and she tells him what department she works for. I still don’t trust her in the slightest and this opening up seems pretty calculated to me.

Shot of the Week

The side eye from Elizabeth coupled with the excellent use of counter top props to cover Keri Russell’s IRL pregnancy bump is pretty wonderful. And just think if they had written her pregnancy into the show then she would have got to wear the Princess Di inspired (costume designer Katie Irish confirmed this) maternity wear. Cute collars make a tent dress almost bearable.

Disguise of the WeekThe return of Jim Baxter and his leather jacket definitely warrants a mention here. Also Patty is making me too sad.

Outfit I Would Wear in 2016

A black turtleneck is a classic for a reason and Philip always wears it well.

Paige takes after her dad in the fashion stakes this week, but pairs her tneck with a sweater and even though the weather is getting warmer (although not as warm as May usually is by this point) I am getting a hankering for knitwear.

Next week we have the ominously titled “Dinner for Seven” and it sounds like we are in for a culinary accompanied hoot.

This is our first “Out of the Box” post-award season post and guess what? There are still plenty of amazing outfits, events and magazine covers to admire/covet/gaze over. From teen girl superstars to The Americans with a dash of Paris Fashion Week and Broadway openings; we’ve got a wide range of looks from fancy pants to casual cool.

Teen girls taking over the world one magazinecover at a time and this new ‘Dream Teens’ W issue is gonna look great on my coffee table. When discussing Kiernan Shipka’s Dazed feature I mentioned this factor as once again there is an element of direct confrontation in their gaze which is so appealing and there is something incredibly powerful about this shot of Shipka, Willow Smith and Zendaya. The other photos from the editorial are just as strong and you can check those out here along with individual interviews. I am so excited to see what they all do next. Over at Tom and Lorenzo they remarked that this black Gucci ruffled number is an optical illusion of a dress as from the front you can’t tell that Keri Russell is pregnant, but the side view makes it very clear. Either way, Russell looks fantastic at the season 4 Americanspremiere and the vampy lipstick color hits all the right notes.

This is a very different look from the Valentino frock she wore on The Late Show last week showing there are plenty of options for fancy maternity wear. The stacked Gucci platforms are kind of insane (pregnant or not) in close up form, but work from the front in this shot.Also at The Americans season 4 premiere is Alison Wright taking a break from pussy bows, anguished faces and giant 80s hair in a printed Mary Katrantzou delight. Plus pocket points! Keeping with The Americans theme and Julia Garner attended the Miu Miu Paris Fashion Week show this week in this super cute and sophisticated look. There’s no word as to whether Kimmy will be in season 4, but Garner has been taking the fashion world by storm modelling for Miu Miu, hitting the Balenciaga runway and featuring on the cover of Italian Vogue. Paris Fashion Week has definitely delivered on the outerwear front and recent Oscar winner Alicia Vikander attended the Louis Vuitton show – it is the brand she models for after all – in a fantastic blue and white coat. The rest of the outfit is also very Vikander cool and hopefully we will be seeing more Louis Vuitton creations like her sequin SAG and Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty dresses. Danai Gurira has been crushing it all areas – writing, acting, fashion – and at the Eclipsed opening night afterparty she wore this very pretty and colorful flowing Schiaparelli gown, which is ideal for twirling in. Ruffles are big this week and Lupita Nyong’o works this trend with aplomb in green plunging Balmain and her new InStyle cover also embraces this color in the best possible way. Adding to my magazine ‘to buy’ list.Olivia Wilde has directed a music video for Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes causing instant thoughts of Marnie’s dream wedding aesthetic on Girls. This is also a really great casual outfit for a moment like this; once again proving that Wilde delivers on both the fancy pants events and the more dress down occasions.

A mostly New York Fashion week edition of “Out of the Box” with plenty of famous faces flocking to runway shows to find out what they will be wearing come the next red carpet cycle/in their regular lives – they can probably afford the price tags.

This was going to be an all NYFW offering, but as I didn’t cover the BAFTAs (for other work/travel reasons) I wanted to include a couple of dresses from this event which wowed me.It’s New York in February and temperatures are on the chilly side so a coat casually slung over the shoulders is always a good choice and both Diane Kruger and Jennifer Hudson have opted for this at Jason Wu. If this was me I would definitely struggle with keeping it straight on my shoulders (you should see my oh so wonky gown graduation pictures). This is a fun blend of looks with Jennifer Hudson wearing the very on trend leather, Diane looking cool in cornflower blue and Jamie King rounding out the picture in a dress ideal for a weekend away in the country at Downton Abbey type venue.A beautiful and simple shot of Claire Danes watching the Narciso Rodriguez runway show on Tuesday. The Marc Jacobs presentation was packed last night and whenever I see a front row like this I just assume that this is the first time most of them are meeting each other. Not the case with our favorite teen BFFs Amandla Stenberg and Kiernan Shipka. Andra Day’s movie themedensemble is super fun and that’s a whole lot of excellent bold lip colors from Day, Ashley Benson and Odeya Rush. A clearer look at Amandla Stenberg’s fabulous Marc Jacobs ‘Scream Queens‘ skirt – Olivia Wilde wore the dress version recently – and pairing it with sneakers adds to the laid back vibe.While Stenberg’s gone for sneakers (a woman after my own flats loving heart) there are a lot of stacked platforms on display and I’m maybe coveting Christina Ricci’s ‘Edie Mary Jane‘ patent delights. There’s also something a little Wednesday Addams about her whole outfit and I’m so here for Natasha Lyonne’s bold red (pleather?) skirt.Juliette Lewis looking like the coolest golfer that ever lived at Marc Jacobs. The pants maybe need a little hemming, but as someone who couldn’t see their shoes for the first half of the aughts I am also fine with this.See the above comment about the pants and ribbons/ascots/scarves are really making a big swing for Fall 2016 with Zosia Mamet also working prints at Marc Jacobs. More Zosia at the Kate Spade New York presentation – we picked out some outfits for Shoshanna in our Kate Spade Fantasy Costuming piece – and more excellent patterned attire. Posing with Ellie Kemper and Freida Pinto the trio stuck to the monochrome department rather than going for the bright Kate Spade color palette. Adding a splash of color in a super pretty floral ensemble is Zoe Kazan proving that black tights can be worn with something this summer looking. It is still February after all.More Zoe Kazan and the Jill Stuart frock she gave a sneak peek look at on Instagram and I feel like I have very similar clothing taste to Kazan; this is right in my dress wheelhouse. And tights. I love tights.Naomie Harris was a knockout during the Spectre press tour last year and once again she is killing it at the Michael Kors Collection show in Michael Kors. Pink pumps add a touch of flair to this floral delight.While I still haven’t come up with a suitable term to describe something more than #SquadGoals here is the non-selfie version of Taraji P. Henson and Zoe Kravitz on the front row at Alexander Wang still looking super cool. Henson looked stunning in Alexander Wang at the recent Golden Globes and this is brand which suits her style well while avoiding any Cookie comparisons.Also at Alexander Wang – Julia Garner somehow looking cute and edgy all at once in leather. No word if she will be back for season 4 of The Americansbut no doubt if she is then expect plenty of heartbreak.More leather and Alicia Vikander’s BAFTA Louis Vuitton frock is a weighty 35 lbs. The last three big events has seen Vikander wearing avariety of looks from the brand she models for and I cannot wait to see what they have in store for her a week on Sunday. It’s weird to think award season is almost at an end.Cate Blanchett also cranks it up a gear for the BAFTAs in a stunning Alexander McQueen dress of two halves and each one is just as spectacular as the other.